Basketball Recap: Asheville Skates Past Madison with Ease

Asheville came into Wednesday's game having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They simply couldn't be stopped on Wednesday as they easily beat the Madison Patriots 66-35. Given the Cougars' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 190th, while the Patriots are ranked 390th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Asheville was led to victory by Zaryah Tucker and Hayziah Dillingham. Tucker went 11 of 17 on her way to 27 points, while Dillingham posted seven points in addition to 13 assists and eight steals. The dominant performance gave Tucker a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Andie Jones, who earned four points and four steals.

They weren't the only one working in the assists department: Asheville was working as a unit and finished the game with 22 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

When it comes to explaining why Madison lost, don't look at Sarah Ball. Despite the final result, she went 5 for 8 en route to 13 points. Another player making a difference was Anna Barnette, who scored four points and five steals.

Asheville now has a winning record of 9-8. As for Madison, they dropped their record down to 4-13 with the defeat, which was their third straight on the road.

Asheville has already played their next contest, a 55-45 loss against Erwin on the 28th. As for Madison, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next matchup, a 1-0 win against NCSSM: Morganton on the 24th.